"As former leaders in the Defense Department we all took an oath upon assuming office “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” as did the president and all members of the military... We are alarmed at how the president is betraying this oath by threatening to order members of the U.S. military to violate the rights of their fellow Americans... Beyond being unnecessary, using our military to quell protests across the country would also be unwise. They signed up to fight our nation’s enemies and to secure — not infringe upon — the rights and freedoms of their fellow Americans.It also risks diminishing Americans’ trust in our military. The members of our military are always ready to serve in our nation’s defense. But they must never be used to violate the rights of those they are sworn to protect."
At www.washingtonpost.com
